Melissa Rogers, a psychology teacher at Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has been named a national winner of a 2021
APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award
by the American Psychological Association's Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).
In her seven years of teaching, Rogers has impressed students and colleagues alike with her innovative teaching, leadership, and dedication. She “is a sheer professional who contributes to a healthy school culture so students and teachers can thrive. Her passion for teaching is reflected in the higher-level activities and demonstrations, and engaging teaching style. She readily engages in new teaching strategies to continuously accommodate student learning needs,” said Traci Lake, a Social Studies teacher at Cedar Falls High School.
Rogers uses hands-on activities and approaches to teach students new concepts. Former student Mallorie Sckerl said of Rogers: “Rather than simply helping students memorize key terms and definitions, she challenges them to apply what they learn to the real world in unique and memorable ways, such as making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while learning about genetic predispositions for psychological disorders… The engaging content coupled with her obvious excitement and passion for the subject makes it a joy to attend her class each day.”
Additionally, Sckerl noted that Rogers prioritizes relationships with students. She has “truly dedicated her life to her students and their success. Regardless of a student’s post-high school plans, [Rogers] seeks to establish a connection with them and challenge them to always do their best while also sharing her passion for psychology.”
Throughout her professional learning of the application of psychology, Rogers has increasingly embraced the tenets of cognitive psychology, working to incorporate different research-backed methods which are most effective for student learning. She encourages metacognition and effective study strategies through her classroom activities.
"Among Melissa’s many strengths is the amazing quality of her instructional materials. They are highly engaging, rooted in best practices, and demonstrative of the importance of psychological science and cognitive psychology," said APA TOPSS Committee chair Amy Ramponi.
In addition to participating in the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology examination readings, Rogers attends and presents at professional conferences. She also shares this knowledge with her colleagues in her building. Her colleague Lake recalled that, “On multiple occasions, she has led staff-wide professional development sessions related to the use of cognitive psychology and retrieval practice. I know I can speak for many other staff members in saying that the resources she provided were invaluable to our instruction and student learning.” Rogers is also a committee member of the Iowa Teachers of Psychology (IToP).
For her deep devotion to her students and the teaching of psychology, the APA TOPSS Committee is excited to present this award to Melissa Rogers.
